The Best Ship Is Partnership?
by Mirime Kisarrastine
Summary: Direct follow-up of chapter 202. They were partners now, so of course they would be spending time together. What Gajeel and Levy did in that week before the trials started. Gajeel/Levy and Lily.


Inspired by yssab on DeviantArt and her fabulous Gajeel x Levy fanart http : / yssab . deviantart . com / art / Fairy-Tail-feeding-the-fandom-180646325 (remove the spaces). This fic aims to show that missing week from the chapter 202, throwing in some fluff at the end. And isn't Lily the no.1 Gajeel/Levy shipper in the guild?

**Disclaimer:** Mashima san's creations, misused by me. That explains it all.

**The Best Ship Is... Partnership?**

* * *

It was slowly settling in Levy's mind. Her being chosen for the S-class exams had been shocking enough. But the fact that Gajeel - **Gajeel** - had offered to be her partner for the duration of the exams had almost blown her mind. She was grateful because it had raised her chances exponentially and also solved the dilemma of choosing between Jet and Droy. But...

There was always some but.

Gajeel was, simply put, an insufferable slave driver.

"We've got only one week to get you in better shape. Stamina is the most important thing here. You need to be able to keep up with me."

"But-" Levy tried to protest as he continued walking to the Eastern Park, a favourite place for people who liked to run. She was still rubbing her eyes, trying to wake up properly. It was shortly after the dawn and she should still be in her warm bed, not trying to keep up with the Iron Dragon Slayer's long strides.

"No buts," he interrupted her. "I told you I'm going to help you but you need to follow my instructions. Got it?"

Levy sighed. There was no arguing with him, it seemed.

"Even if I raise my stamina, how is it going to help me? I told you, I'm small and-"

"Small things are harder to hit," he was grinning. "And fast and small things are almost impossible to hit."

It made sense. Levy had always viewed her diminutive size as a disadvantage in a fight, preferring to stick to long-range magic attacks. It had never occured to her to try and make use of her supposed weakness.

"So I get faster so I'm not hit in a physical fight and you-"

"-I cover up for the rest. You are smart, aren't you? So you stick to being brains and I'll take care of the brawns part."

"Match made in heaven," Lily drawled dryly from beside them. Gajeel glared at him while Levy looked aside to cover up for the slight blush on her face.

"Stuff it," Gajeel said gruffly. "You'd do better to tell me about how we get around Titania."

"Beat her," came Lily's amused reply.

"Smart-ass."

Levy noticed the fondness in Gajeel's voice. Ever since the three Dragon Slayers, Lucy, Erza and Gray had come back from Edolas with Lisanna and Lily in tow, she could see the friendly bond between the Iron Dragon Slayer and his cat - or Exceed, as Lucy had explained to her. It was very similar to Natsu and Happy's bond and yet there was a marked difference. Maybe because Gajeel and Lily were both less naive and more world-weary. And maybe it was because they were both rough around the edges - though Lily far less than Gajeel - and more cautious when it came to forming bonds with others.

The blue-haired girl laced her fingers behind her back and stretched like a cat before beaming a smile at her squabbling companions. She would never voice it aloud but the two of them were almost cute as they walked and argued together.

"What's so funny?" Lily was the first to notice her smile.

"Nothing," Levy replied. "Just enjoying the walk."

"Hmm," Gajeel turned to her. "Enjoy it while you can. We're almost there. And once we arrive, the training starts."

His grin was positively diabolical and Levy suppressed shivers. If the training got her through this test, she would stuck it out, no matter what.

* * *

As Levy fell into her bed, she almost wished she could take her resolution back. She was beat. Gajeel had been running her through several exercises for the whole day - running, doing push-ups, running again. There had been only two breaks in the routine - once when Lily came back with a lunch (Gajeel hadn't let her eat much, saying she would throw up) and then when Gajeel chased away Jet and Droy who had come to check up on her and protested against Gajeel's "brutal training methods". She was just thankful for the breather and ignored the happenings around her.

Rolling out of the bed next day was difficult but she had no choice. Limping into the guild, she barely got half of her breakfast into her stomach before Gajeel appeared behind her, dragging her away for more training.

On the third day, she noticed that her reactions were getting better and it took longer for her to become exhausted. Gajeel was nodding approvingly and she decided not to focus on the warmth it caused in her chest. After the lunch, Gajeel transformed his right arm into a long sword.

"Next step," he said. "I'll attack and you avoid."

Levy eyed the sword. It looked sharp. Very sharp. Too sharp.

"I don't think it's a good ideeeep!"

She dodged the blade as it bore down on her head. She looked up, ready to tear into Gajeel angrily but stopped as she saw his proud smirk.

"See? It paid up. Your reflexes are better now."

Levy glanced to the side and replayed the scene in her head. It was true. She had dodged the blade reflexively and on time.

"You could have warned me," she grumbled finally.

"The opponents won't warn you in a real fight. Besides," Gajeel added, probably trying to calm her down, "I was holding back a bit. I wouldn't hit you for real."

"Thanks," she acknowledged.

"Ready?" he asked, raising the sword.

"Ready," Levy confirmed and immediately jumped aside as he attacked.

* * *

The rest of the day and the next one were dedicated to getting her up to speed on her dodging. Afterwards, there were three days left until the exams started and Levy was starting to feel better about her chances. She wasn't the strongest mage but she didn't need to be, as long as she used all of her strong points and neutralized her weaknesses.

She and Gajeel had agreed to dedicate the last three days to a teamwork training and trying to combine their fighting styles into something effective. Lily was a faithful observer, pointing out flaws and making helpful suggestions, later on even transforming into his larger form so they could train against a real opponent.

One thing that made this part of the training awkward for Levy at first was the physical contact between her and Gajeel. It wasn't that she minded it. Quite the opposite in fact and therein laid the problem. The first time Gajeel tucked her under his left arm while blocking Lily's strike with his right, she froze in surprise.

It might have been that strong arm winding around her shoulders or the firm body she found herself pressed against. It might have been the memories of Gajeel's interactions with her - taking a hit for her, complimenting her, promising to make her strong. Whatever the reason, Levy suddenly realized with a startling clarity she was crushing on the Iron Dragon Slayer. Hard.

Luckily for her, neither Gajeel nor Lily noticed her momentary distraction and she was able to concentrate for long enough to flung a spell at Lily and disengage from Gajeel at the same time. He didn't seem to notice because he lunged after Lily with a shout and the two of them fought briefly, grinning all the while.

Levy took several deep breaths. The realization had shaken her up but she didn't have the luxury of thinking on it for long. Gajeel had already beckoned her closer to try another defensive maneuvre and she went. It wouldn't do to avoid him until she sorted herself out, not this close to the exams. She would just have to grin and bear it.

* * *

The Fairy Tail guild was famous for its parties and the one they threw for their S-Class candidates was a prime example of that. The few voices of reason that argued that starting out the exams with a hangover wasn't the best nor brightest idea were silenced in a resounding cheer rising from the majority of the guild. Most of the contestants and some of their partners refrained from drinking an alcohol but they were all joining in on the other festivities.

Levy was making her way through the throng of people, ducking occasionaly to avoid the strange projectiles - mostly cups, glasses, mugs, plates and an occasional mage - being thrown around. Her week of training had paid off nicely and she was able to navigate the dangerous surroundings of the Fairy Tail's free-for-all into a relative safety of the back tables.

She spotted Lily standing to the side, watching the happenings with a faint smile and she decided to talk to him for a bit. She had grown used to the Exceed's company in the past week.

"Hello," she spoke up so she could be heard above the din of the fight.

"Levy," the black cat acknowledged her. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," the ancient language expert admitted. "And excited. And I'm a bit scared but at the same time I feel confident. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, it does," Lily replied, wincing as he watched Gajeel throw a punch at Elfman. "It's your first time participating in such an event, so your emotions are understandable," he looked up at her. "You worked hard this last week. You should feel proud even if you fail the tests."

"Because I did my best," she nodded with a smile, turning to watch Gajeel as well. She sighed as all she could see was a tangle of legs and arms with a flash of Natsu's pink and Gajeel's black hair now and then. She started when Lily patted her leg.

"He won't let you down," the Exceed said confidently. "So don't worry about that."

"I know," Levy said. And then, because it had been bothering her the whole week, she asked. "Why me?"

"Why you?" Lily repeated.

"Why did he offer to help me? TO be my partner?"

The black Exceed smirked in his best Gajeel-like fashion.

"As Gajeel would say: _You're the smart one. Figure it out yourself._"

"Lily!"

The cat raised his hands in defense, dropping the teasing.

"I don't know for sure. I have my suspicions, though."

He fell silent and Levy knew she wouldn't get anything more out of him. Turning her mind to a problem, she quickly came up with several possible answers. She had been thinking it over for a week, after all.

One: he wanted to participate and since he hadn't been picked, this was his best shot. Then again, he could have partnered up with Juvia who was far stronger than her and they knew each other better.

Two: it was his way of apologizing for the way they had been acquainted and he wanted to make up for that incident.

Three: he liked her.

Levy slapped her cheeks lightly. Very unlikely. It was probably the first option and he got late to Juvia, so he settled for her.

"You know, you could always ask him," Lily suggested and gestured towards the bar where the Dragon Slayer in question sat down, shouting an order.

Feeling courageous, Levy nodded.

"I think I will."

Setting down her non-alcoholic beverage, she resolutely made her way across the room. The main fight had calmed down, some of the participants laying around unconscious, the others refilling their orders at the bar. Gajeel was leaning his back against the counter, his gaze sweeping the room, looking for Lily as Levy knew. She noticed how he relaxed imperceptibly after spotting the Exceed and she once again marveled at the friendship between the two of them. She caught Gajeel's gaze, smiled at him and it happened.

She was less than four feet from him at that moment. It was Warren who tried to stand up as she passed him by and she didn't notice the moving body. Tripping over him, she waved her arms comically, trying to keep her balance. Her body moved on its own and she stumbled forward, falling into the familiar chest of the Iron Dragon Slayer.

Everything seemed to stop. Levy raised her head slowly, faintly aware of one of Gajeel's arms keeping her upright. She pushed herself slightly away from him, her right hand splayed across his heart, feeling the steady thumping underneath. Her own heart seemed ready to burst out of her chest, it was beating so fast.

Gajeel was looking down at her, his face a mixture of concern and amusement. Levy felt the blood rising into her face and she was sure she was already as red as a tomato. As he gave her a quick once-over, thus assuring himself she was fine, he smirked in a familiar fashion.

"No need to throw yourself at me. Saying you are interested would be enough."

Levy gaped at him but before she could formulate a reply, a piercing whistle broke through the guild.

"Way to go, Levy!" Bisca cheered, more than tipsy, waving her mug around. "Grab yer man and don't leggo! Yeah!"

"Holy shit! It's like Beauty and the Beast!" someone smart enough to hide himself called out.

"Whoohoo!"

"Love is in the air!"

"Go get a room!"

The whole guild, with more than three fourths of its members well on their way to a morning hangover, cheered and shouted and whistled and generally made a lot of noise, drowning out the twin plaintive cries of "Levyyyy! Noooooo!" from the rest of the Shadow Gear.

Levy tried to extricate herself from Gajeel's loose embrace but he tightened his grip on her.

"Lost your nerve?" he asked.

"I tripped," she hissed. "It was an accident!"

"I know," he nodded. Levy stopped squirming and looked at him again.

"Why aren't you letting go, then?"

"Because I told you I would get you through the exam safely. If I let go now, those idiotic friends of yours," he made an elaborate gesture towards Bisca, Lucky and Mirajane who waved back, "will get you drunk or something and you look like a real lightweigth. You would be dead on your feet tommorrow."

"Oh," Levy articulated. It was actually nice, being held like this by him and she relaxed. She could afford to unwind this once.

"Match made in heaven," Lily said sagely from where he appeared next to them. Gajeel scoffed at him.

"You're just jealous 'cause you don't get to come along and help us."

"As if," the black cat snorted and climbed on the bar stool. He looked at the two humans and smiled. "I stand by what I said."

"Aw, just shut up," Gajeel signaled for another beer and pushed it towards the Exceed. "I'm just taking care of my partner."

Hearing that sentence, Levy made a decision. Standing up on her tiptoes, she pressed a quick kiss on Gajeel's cheek and then hid her flaming face in his chest, not quite believing she had just done that. She heard Lily's chuckle and snuck a quick glance at Gajeel's face and at what looked suspiciously like a blush, spreading across the Dragon Slayer's features.

"What was that?" he asked roughly. Levy smiled to herself and replied.

"Just thanking my partner."

* * *

**A/N:** Not really happy about the ending but the last chapter spawned way too many bunnies. This took care of the worst of them. Except for the smut ones but I'll be taking care of those after I post sixth chapter of Magnetism tommorrow. 'Til then. And ship Gajeel/Levy! All of you!


End file.
